4 Tips to find your own North Star

A JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES STARTS WITH A SINGLE STEP - Lao Tzu

North star, destiny or perhaps purpose. So many of us meander from one phase of life to another, but have you ever taken the time to just stop for a second and think about what is life all about ? Are we here for a reason? or is the reason, that we are simply here ?

My generation certainly seem to go day to day living a plan that has been a routine for our parents and all the generations that came before us.

Birth - School - college - work - retirement - Death

We don't appear to have given much thought to our purpose or our destiny. It just was, we never questioned it, we simply knew it was something that would happen.

I feel that this is not what we are destined for. I feel that there is so much more to explore in this life, that there is so much more to this life, I believe in the theory of working to live not living to work. I can hand on heart truly say that I love my work but I want to explore all that life has in store for me. Work is just a little part of it, at least that is what I would like my life to be.

We so often talk about life balance yet we seem to weigh heavy on the side of life focused around our work/job/career. Family, hobbies, travel, sport, whatever it is that we want to do seem to be squeezed in somewhere if we have time for them.

It is important that we take the time not only to think of a job that pays the bills but of how we spend our time. What fuels our passions, what are our gifts and what fills us with so much pleasure that we are excited to explore those experiences.

I firmly believe that each of us were put on this planet with a purpose and objective. Sometimes we are unaware of what that is because we are simply too busy with life to stop and focus on who we are and what our talents are. It seems obvious to me that we are worth so much more than simply survival, our mission in life should be to thrive, to work towards a life that we love not simply jump on the treadmill of dread simply to pay someone else.

Your north star is that purpose. It isn't simply a goal but a beacon that we keep our eye on. When we connect with our North Star it aids us to live a life of purpose, it is our guide, it is where we focus.

Does it mean that our life becomes less challenging ? of course not. life's challenges are lessons that we must learn to keep us focused and striving for the next step towards our next level of success. However when we live a life based on purpose it becomes easier to accept those challenges and push through to where we want to go, to find what we want to achieve and to feel contentment.

How do you find your North Star ?

1. Your Unique talents

We all have qualities that set us apart from everyone else. For some of us they are outstanding talents that the world recognizes, for others they may seem very insignificant to the point that we don't even consider them to be special at all.

Perhaps you are a good listener, or a world class musician, maybe you are good with children or a famous artist, no matter what your skill is, it is unique to you and therefore this is your gift and it makes you unique to everyone else. Your gift is a stepping stone, a special clue that can lead to your true mission in life.

2. What do you visualize in your moments alone?

What do you imagine when you have down time? What are your dreams? What lights you up? What can you talk about for hours unprompted?

Find a way to link your dreams to your passions to give you an insight into your purpose if you don't already know what it is.

3. How do you feel about your current Occupation ?

For most of us we spend approximately eight hours every day in a place of work. I know for some of us we are still working from home but regardless of your situation, the question has to be, am I doing something I love ? Am I passionate about my job ? What attracted you to this career?

We all take our jobs for different reasons, but do those reasons equate to a harmonious life plan? for most of us the answer is no, so why do we continue along that path?

If we can identify the type of work that ignites our spark and gives us a lilt to our step then we can be sure that we are on the correct pathway to finding our North Star.

4. Your past does not define your future

The journey of life can be demanding but it can also be rewarding too, if you have had a troubled past don't let it dictate your future.

We are the commanders of our own ships. We do not have to drown in the legacy of our past. We do not have to let the opinions of others drag us down, the only opinion that truly matters is the opinion that we have of ourselves.

It is our destiny to set goals, dream big and follow our North Star, of course you will meet resistance and there will be those around you that will criticize, this is their choice, we must not live our lives based on the negative, toxic expectations of others. focus on your dreams, your desires and your expectations of yourself. Explore and seek your own North Star.

xx Lei

WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOUR VALUES ARE, WHAT YOU STAND FOR, THEY ARE YOUR ANCHOR, YOUR NORTH STAR. YOU WON'T FIND THEM IN A BOOK. YOU'LL FIND THEM IN YOUR SOUL - Anne M Mulcahy